“Nowadays meditation is very popular. Everyone talks about it, many of us practice it. But do we really know what meditation is? How can it help us? What is the purpose of practicing it? How to practice it?

In Buddhism meditation has a very specific meaning that not necessarily correlates with our ideas about it. The purpose of meditation in Buddhism is not to get relaxed, to experience pleasant sensations or to attain tranquility and peace. All of these may be the by-products of practicing the Buddhist meditation, but are not its aim. The Buddhist meditation directs us to improve our mind by daily consistent practice, that will bring our mind to be flexible, stable, open, clear, and at the same time aware. In this way, our practice of meditation can support us on our progress on the path to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

It seems that different Buddhist traditions have different approaches to meditation. Ringu Tulku Rinpoche belongs to the Kagyu tradition, which puts a lot of emphasis on the experiential aspect of meditation. In this online teaching, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche will present the essence and aims of the Buddhist meditation, will give instruction for practice and will guide us on the path of meditation for developing our mind.”

This online teaching was organised on Zoom by a dharma group in Israel.